# CVE-2018-5281: Cross-site scripting in n/a

> Cross-site scripting in SonicWall SonicOS allows attackers to inject scripts via specific configuration screens, potentially compromising user sessions.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 8 Jan 2018
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-2gvf-5wxg-qhph

## What is CVE-2018-5281?

CVE-2018-5281 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Sonicwall Sonicos, published on 8 Jan 2018. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

SonicWall SonicOS on Network Security Appliance (NSA) 2017 Q4 devices has XSS via the CFS Custom Category and Cloud AV DB Exclusion Settings screens.

Weakness: CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-5281?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Sonicwall Sonicos.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-5281?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2018-5281 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-5281 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Sonicwall Sonicos

- [CVE-2020-5135](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-5135/): SonicWall SonicOS Buffer Overflow (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-40766](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-40766/): SonicWall SonicOS Improper Access Control (critical 9.3, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-53704](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-53704/): SonicWall SonicOS SSLVPN Improper Authentication (high 8.2, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-40600](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-40600/): Denial of service in SonicOS (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-22394](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-22394/): Auth bypass in SonicOS (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-5281 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-5281 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Sonicwall Sonicos, published on 8 Jan 2018. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-5281 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Sonicwall Sonicos. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-5281/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-5281/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-5281
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-5281
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-5281

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-5281/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.